Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-13
$4,000.
y. Harry Conlan Wants That
Sum From the ssTimes.ss

Kinley, filed the following suit fol
$4,000 libel.
In THE SUPERIOR CoURT, OF TIL
County OF Los ANGELES, STATE OF
CALIFORNIA.
j. Harry Conlan, Plaintiff, VS.. TIL
Times-Mirror Company, Defendan
Plaintiff complains and alleges:
That at all the times mentioned il
the complaint defendant was, ant
still is corporation, duly organize,
and existing under the laws of tn,
State of California.
That at the times hereafter men
toned, said defendant was th'
publisher and proprietor of thu
Los Angeles Times, newspapel
published at the City of Los Angeles.
That the defendant, well-knowine
the premises, did, on the 18th day q
September, 1886, compose and pub
lish, in said newspaper, Of
and concerning plaintiff, anG
concerning the premises the false and
defamatory matter following to wit:
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF DUDE
HARRY.
Evidence that he has Skipped the Town
for Good and All,
J. Harry Conlan has been for years
one of the best known young men in
Los Angeles. Somewhat of a dude, a
prominent member of the N. S. G. w.
and of the Eagle Corps, his trim figure
was familiar everywhere. But the
places that once knew J. Harry now
know him no more. The gay deco
rator has skipped, apparently for
good. A week ago last night he paid
off his employees all right. A week
ago tonight he boarded the Southern
Pacific Railroad train north-bound.
His trunk was with him, and neither
j. Harry nor the trunk have been
seen since. Last night when Will
Dupre and George Walch, the two
boys who have been working for him,
went to get their pay, there was no
one to pay them and nothing to pay
them with.
The causes for Harry's mysterious
flight are hard to surmise. He was a
good decorator and paper-hanger, and
had more work on hand than he could
attend to. 1t is not known that he
was in debt beyond the weeks sala-
ries of his employees. The only con-
lecture is that the coolness or fickle-
ness of the fair sex-to whom he was
ever a ready victim-may have driven
him into voluntary exile.
".
That said language was published OF
and concerning the plaintiff by the
defendant as aforesaid with intent
and meaning to convey, and the same
was by the persons who used said
language so published as aforesaid
understood and believed to convey, a
charge that plaintiff was dude"
thereby meaning that he was a fop
and presumptive dandy, devoting all
of his time and attention to personal
appearance and neglecting his busi-
ness. loafing about places where he
could exhibit himself to advantage in
the presence of weak men and frivol-
GUS women. And that he had abb
seconded and skipped" for good,
meaning by skipped" that he had
gone away secretly without the knowl-
edge of his friends and in order to
avoid his creditors and defraud
them of their dues, and had
secretly removed his trunk and valua-
bles, and that he had left no agent or
representative or anything with which
to pay his employees, and that he dis
appeared mysteriously, thereby
meaning to convey that his absence
could lot be accounted for upon any
honorable grounds, and that he had
mysteriously fed for some dishonest
reason, and that he was driven into
exile, and was ready victim of de-
signing women, and that he had fled
for good, and for the good OF all, and
would never return, and had cheated
his employees.
That plaintiff is, and has been for
several years, a paper-hanger and
house decorator, extensively engaged
in his said business in the city of Los
Angeles, having the confidence Of the
public, and doing large and profit
able business. and dealing extern
sively with business houses in this
city and elsewhere, and having good
credit with them in the making Of
large purchases of materials for his
said business, both for cash and upon
time.
That, by reason of said publication,
plaintiff has been damaged in his credit
and business standing with the firms
and houses with whom he deals, and
has heretofore, dealt and also with his
patrons and customers, causing him
thereby great loss of custom and busi-
ness credit.
That the defamatory matter con-
tanned in said publication as hereinbe-
fore set forth, is false and libelous in
each and every part and portion there
of, and was published by defendant
maliciously, and with the intention to
defraud and scandalize the plaintiff,
and by reason of the publication thereof
plaintiff has been injured in his good
name, reputation and credit.
VIII.
That by reason of the premises,
plaintiff has sustained damage in the
sum of $50, 900.
WILLIAMS & MCKINLEY.
Attorneys for Plaintiff.
STATE ON CALIFORNIA,
COUNTY OF Los ANGELES. SIS.
j. Harry Conlan being first duly
sworn, says that he is the plaintiff in
the above entitled action, and that he
has read the foregoing complaint and
knows the contents thereof, and that
the same is true of his own knowledge
except in to the matter therein stated
upon his information and belief, and
as to those matters he believes it tc
be true.
L. = o,.,<r.. - H. NJ 4